UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH: Wilmington’s Responsive Heart 20 Years After Katrina

Wilmington is no stranger to hurricanes, tropical storms, or even unnamed cyclones, but we have thankfully never endured destruction on the scale New Orleans experienced in 2005. The event needs only mention one word: Katrina.

Katrina rolled over South Florida as a Category 1 hurricane and weakened into a tropical storm, leaving many relieved. But as it barreled through the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico, it swelled into a monstrous Category 5 hurricane in only 72 hours.

The NOAA evacuation warning from Aug. 28, 2005, still holds a haunting weight:

...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED…HURRICANE KATRINA…

A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...

What followed was a pulsing horror seldom rivaled since. It illuminated issues such as limited evacuation routes and urban planning weaknesses. It dispelled the belief that anyone who “hunkered down” in hurricanes was simply stupid or stubborn. Overnight, the country learned what many coastal residents had known their whole lives: Many people lack the resources or finances to evacuate. They don’t own a car. They don’t have money for hotels. They can’t take their pets. They don’t have an inland family.

A mere four years after 9/11, this was only the second major event filmed and televised by the masses to the masses. YouTube and other early platforms flooded with firsthand video of the destruction. After wading through the quagmire of coverage, one fact was undeniable: thousands needed help.

Enter the grassroots organizations and the unprecedented strength of human empathy. 

Wilmington (and NC) United

Katrina remains one of the largest government response failures in U.S. history, and still leaves enough ire regarding FEMA—a recent target of budget cuts from the current administration. Yet in the hours and weeks after the storm, Wilmington, like so many municipalities, showed up for New Orleans. 

The local American Red Cross chapter raised more than $208,338, according to then-director Steve Barnett. The StarNews then reported that the amount was greater than 25% of its annual donations alone. And that number didn’t include funds still rolling in from community events.

Wilmington showed up for New Orleans on every level. State leaders, including Gov. Mike Easley, allocated state resources to relief efforts and promoted verified donation channels, such as the N.C. Helping Neighbors Fund and the N.C. Disaster Hotline.

The American Red Cross partnered with numerous local venues and media for relief events. One such event was Rockin for Red Cross, co-hosted by Mike Raab, editor of the late BEAT magazine and two downtown anchors of the time: The Marrz NightClub and Charley Brownz Downtown Lounge (now the Rebellion Restaurant and the Todd offices building, respectively). 

“Everyone just wanted to help,” Raab reflects, “and these are all musicians, most of them have some sort of connection to New Orleans. It wasn’t a faceless disaster. They’d been there, played there, knew people there. It was personal.”

Courtesy photos from Michael Raab.

The lineup featured Neptune's Buffalo, Fourth and Dock, the Daniel Parrish Band, Michael Wolfe and the Wolfegang, and William "Mojo" Collins. Local celebrities—like Barry Corbin from "One Tree Hill" and the painfully-missed Night Nurse rock DJ from The Bone 93.7 FM—joined the crowd. All door proceeds and a percentage of bar sales went directly to the Red Cross.

Kenan Auditorium boasted a star-studded lineup, hosted by the Cape Fear Jazz Appreciation Society (now the Cape Fear Jazz Society), featuring Benny Hill, Doug Irving, the Roger Davis Trio, Marc Siegel, and SQV. A StarNews article that December noted the society continued selling CDs and DVDs of the show as last-minute holiday gifts, with proceeds still going to relief. The effort was a reminder of what often gets forgotten: after the cameras leave, and the news leaves the national consciousness, survivors still need help.

Other relief efforts included a compilation CD produced by the Cape Fear Community College’s AMP program. The live recordings featured Organix, WoodWork Roadshow, Coon Phat Gravy, and Da Howlies, among others. All proceeds again went directly to the American Red Cross.

The Dixie Grill, better known for morning hours and downhome southern breakfast, hosted their own show featuring The Spooks, Hate the Living, Dead Rejection, as well as the longtime Wilmington music veterans, The Madd Hatters and Reason to Ignite. A $5 cover went to the American Red Cross, with the Salvation Army on-site to collect donations.

More Than Melodies

It wasn't just musicians who mobilized. Not by a long shot. Comedy shows, shrimp boils, and even a United Pro Wrestling Association event contributed to the cause. A church hosted a “Worshipalooza” to collect monetary and physical donations. The Town of Burgaw adopted the community of Gautier, Mississippi to send resources. We often overlook that while New Orleans was the major city hit by Katrina, smaller towns and communities in the bayous were erased and needed just as much help.

Miller-Motte College donated all proceeds from their cosmetology, esthetics, and massage therapy clinics. Karma Salon hosted free haircuts in lieu of donations. Petsmart accepted donations to send pet supplies to the affected areas. The Moms Club of Southport held a bake sale to raise funds. Banks, post offices, and other government offices hosted collection bins. Numerous contractor, electrical, and forestry services both private and public either collected and sent items or themselves to assist in the aftermath. A local quilt guild banded together to knit quilts for the victims.

Heck, UNCW waived tuition fees for students affected by the storm.

Facing the Next Storm

Now, 20 years later, coastal communities face fresh uncertainty. Federal funding cuts to FEMA and NOAA threaten the very infrastructure designed to warn, protect, and recover. Which begs difficult questions: Will grassroots responses once again become the default safety net? Will the strain of constant disasters draw communities closer, or leave us desensitized?

One thing is for sure, in the face of tragedy, Wilmington banded together with love, camaraderie, empathy, and determination. The unprecedented strength in the face of unfathomable tragedy may be the very strength we’ll need again and again.